TRAVEL LIGHT

Everybody knows Corregidor Island as a historic spot. Everybody knows that in this island hundreds of our gallant heroes stood their ground and died defending our country from the invading forces of Japan during World War II. Because of this historical circumstance, Corregidor Island is now a Tourist spot – a place for people to go on a memorial pilgrimage in honor of those who died heroically for our country.

But how many of us remember that on this same island, forty years ago, about two dozen Moro Youth were summarily executed by forces of the Philippine Government? This incident is now known to history as the infamous “Jabidah Massacre.”

In Brief, the Jabidah Massacre was a result of a bungled covert operation. In 1968, then President Marcos made a covert plan, codenamed OPERATION MERDEKA (Freedom), aimed at infiltrating Sabah, Malaysia to sow chaos and organize the locals of the island for an eventual invasion of Philippine forces to reclaim Sabah from Malaysia. Sabah was historically part of the Sultanate of Sulu.

A select unit of AFP officers gathered a number of Moro youth from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi to a secret military training in Corregidor. Without them knowing their mission, these Moro youth thought that they were trained for some other purpose. But after learning about their real mission, they protested and refused to follow the mission. They would not want to take part in destroying the lives of people many of whom are their relatives. Marcos and his butchers knew only of one solution that will keep this botched mission from leaking out. Batch after batch, the young Moro trainees were mercilessly slaughtered at Kindley Field , an abandoned airstrip in the island of Corregidor. Had it not for a lone survivor who was able to tell the world about the massacre, the incident would have remained unknown. This single incident sparked the resurgence of the Moro liberation movement in the 70′s. And the rest is history.
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Finally, after more than a month of waiting, Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Party List has been officially proclaimed by COMELEC as having won 1 seat in the 14th Congress.

Isang Rally lang pala ang kailangan para pirmihan ni Chairman Abalos ang COMELEC en banc resolution proclaming AMIN as winner of the last National-Party List elections. AMIN members in Metro Manila conducted a rally last thursday in front of COMELEC office to compel Commisioners, particularly Chairman Abalos, to sign the resolution and proclaim the victory of AMIN party list. AMIN has already garnered more than the required 2% for one seat in the Congress long before the National Canvassing Board had ended the canvassing of election results. Chairman Abalos offered the AMIN rallyists with the lamest excuse of not having been informed about the results of canvass for AMIN. AMIN now sits in the Congress on its third term.

Anak Mindanao gets House seat

By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer
Last updated 11:22pm (Mla time) 08/03/2007

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections on Friday proclaimed Anak Mindanao (Amin) as one of the winners in the party-list race in the May midterm elections.

In a two-page resolution, the Comelec en banc, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, said that Amin is guaranteed to have one seat in the House of Representatives after it obtained 324,433 votes, or more than the two percent minimum to win a seat.

The Comelec said that the projected maximum total number of party-list votes, on which the two percent threshold is based, is 16,221,659.

Mujiv Hataman, Amin’s representative in the previous Congress, slammed the Comelec for the delay in his party-list group’s proclamation.

Hataman surmised that his group’s criticism of the strong showing of Byaheng Pinoy headed by the brother of Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos in Mindanao could have something to do with the delay.

Abalos said that the special elections in Pantar, Lanao del Norte, delayed the proclamation of Amin.

Only An Waray, another party-list group, has a chance of still winning a House seat since its votes could reach the two percent threshold.

I don’t hate the American people. I only hate Americans who belong to the stupid, ignorant and arrogant species. Topping the list is the idiot sitting in the White House while the rest are scattered elsewhere in the world waging war killing people or learning about geography and lessons on culture which they don’t have.

A lot of these species are found in the Philippines, some raping our women but can’t be arrested by our government. There’s another one, quite a full mature breed of this species, who landed in jail in Davao City because he thinks that being American is a license to insult anybody. This asshole insulted a young Moro woman in public and bragging that, “I’m a New Yorker! I remember 9-11 and all that! Go tell your husband and Muslims! We have guns you know! We could kill you all! Bring Osama bin Laden! We’ve been looking for him!” Read the whole story about this stupid American here.

Meanwhile in Sulu, local village folks recovered what seemed to be an RQ-11 Raven , an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) used by American troops for real-time reconnaisance on enemy locations. Interviewed on TV, an American GI confirmed that it is indeed a UAV but didn’t elaborate on why it was flying the friendly skies of Sulu. Proudly he just reiterated that the objectives of the American forces in Sulu are only to conduct socio-civic actions, like building or repairing roads and other infrastructures and also conducting medical missions. If that is so, what on earth is the UAV spyplane doing, looking for someone that needs medical attention?

Jose can you see, by the dawn’s early light…

Iligan City like any other urban center had undergone major facelift. Unlike most European Cities where old structures are renovated and preserved, in our country urban facelifting means completely tearing down old structures and replacing it with ubiquitous modern buildings.

Through the years amidst the transformation of the city landscape, the humble St. Anthony’s Maternity Clinic in Iligan City has stood its ground. While the housepaint may change color every now and then yet its old wooden structure and quaint architecture remains in its original state. The clinic stands out preserved even as it is now dwarfed and shadowed by new buildings surrounding it.

The Clinic might not get the privilege of being preserved and cited as a historical landmark, but it holds a special place in my heart. It is here where I and three of my brothers were born. I hope it will continue to stand the test of time. I no longer live in Iligan City and I hope that someday when my children visits my birthplace they can still get a glimpse of the very place where I was born.

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photo source: http://www.iligan.us/

My alma mater, the Mindanao State University (MSU) has never been free from political manipulation and control by those who hold power. Its mandate as an academic institution is always compromised by accomodations of vested political interests.

The term of office of the incumbent MSU President ends this month. Months ago, a search committee composed of academicians had been established to screen and process the selection of the next MSU President. Unfortunately, none of those shortlisted by the search committee, all highly qualified for the position, all competent academicians and alumni of MSU, fit Malacanang’s preference.

Instead, Malacanang has appointed Gen. Ricardo de Leon, recently retired Deputy Director General of the Philippine National Police, as MSU OIC President. Malacanang said that De Leon’s appointment is “temporary” and is intended only to cleanse MSU of alleged corruption and pave the transition for the next MSU President. When this temporary status will end only Malacanang knows.

There are no other educational institutions in our country where Generals have been appointed to the position of President. Malacanang has done this to MSU not only once but twice. Immediately after the ouster of the Marcos dictatorship, Malacanang appointed a General as MSU’s OIC President. Now, another General will take the helm of Mindanao’s premiere academic institution.

Malacanang has a weird way of carrying out a transition to MSU’s presidency. Until they find an able stooge, they pass the leadership of this academic institution to military officials. One can never find a classic example of militarizing an academic institution than this perverted practice.

Even if one has to believe in the rationale of cleansing corruption in the MSU system, appointing a General does not fit the equation. It is simply ridiculous, unless the university charter is changed and MSU is transformed into a new military academy. Cleansing corruption in an educational institution can be done by any qualified, competent academician. Why give the task of ridding corruption to someone coming from an institution which is itself riddled with graft and corruption?

Political appointments to key positions in the bureaucracy is Government’s prerogative. Everyone knows that this practice is meant to maintain control and perpetuate patronage politics and not for any other reason. Extending such practice to institutions of learning not only strengthens corruption in the system but corrupts the minds of the youth in whom we place our country’s future.

Today is the 44th founding anniversary of my Alma Mater, the Mindanao State University (MSU).

Created under RA 1387 as amended through authorship of Senator Domocao A. Alonto, the Mindanao State University was established in Marawi City on September 1, 1961. Dr. Antonio Isidro, former Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University of the Philippines, was its founder and first president.

Formal classes opened in June 1962 with 282 students, 19 faculty members and staff, and three core colleges: Community Development, Liberal Arts and Education.

After more than three decades of operation, the University has grown into a multi-campus University System with seventeen colleges and degree-granting units in the Marawi campus alone.

I consider MSU Marawi City as my second home. I practically grew up in the campus. It is there where I passed my coming of age. It is there where I got not only my elementary, high school and College education but also a greater education about life, on simple living and hard struggles.

Life in MSU is so simple but so beautiful. Whenever I take a stroll down memory lane, my first destination is always MSU. Whenever I see a place endowed with the beauty of nature, I remember MSU. Its cool climate is comparable to the climate of Baguio. In the midst of a wartorn land, MSU remains a sanctuary of peace, a place of bliss. Students of different faiths, having different social status and coming from different places live together in a campus far from the vestiges and profligacy of urban lifestyle. They are bonded together by a simple, almost ascetic, lifestyle. A common experience shared with pride by all MSUans.

To compare MSU with other academic institutions would be like comparing apples to oranges. MSU has a unique identity of its own. An identity known by those whose lives she had touched and intellect she had helped nourished.

To my Alma Mater and to all MSUans, happy foundation day.

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